Q-Collar Safety and Effectiveness Testing: Hockey Study

A feasibility study (“Hockey Study”) was performed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (“CCHMC”) in adolescent male hockey players wearing the Q-Collar during sporting competitions (practices and games) to test its effect in ameliorating neuroanatomical and neurophysiological changes to the brain.  The study measured two widely accepted techniques -- diffusion tensor imaging (“DTI”) and event related potentials utilizing electroencephalography.

For athletes in the non-intervention group, advanced imaging indicated that there were changes to the white matter from pre-season to mid-season.  By comparison, the athletes in the intervention group (collar wearing group) did not show significant changes despite being exposed to similar accumulated g-force head impacts. The results of the Hockey Study demonstrate that IJV compression, through the use of the Q-Collar, can protect the brain from sports-related injury caused by head impacts.

Review the full study: Frontiers in Neurology